[Reviewed from Copy Courtesy of Chronicle Books]
Do you know the difference between a rabbit and hare?
What about a crocodile and an alligator?
A clementine and a mandarin? Peach and a nectarine?
Antarctica vs. the arctic?
Great Britain vs. England?
Holland vs. the Netherlands?
A stetson vs a borsalino? (Admittedly, before this book I had never even heard of a borsalino.)
An embryo vs. a fetus? (I used to teach anatomy and this is the best explanation of the differences I’ve ever seen. )
What’s the Difference? covers all kinds of things that get lumped together but have some important differences. The illustrations are clean, clear, and beautiful. The information is presented in a very easy to scan way that instantly gives the readers an understanding as to why these things are different.
I love this book. It presents a lot of information in an effortless and interesting way. You and your kids will feel so smart after reading this book. I probably had about 20 moments where I thought, “Wow, I never realized that!” while reading this with my boys. Brace yourself though, kids have no limit to the difficult questions they’ll ask and this book just gives them more fodder to ask even harder questions.
What’s the Difference? has so many levels and layers to it. And some of the information, if you don’t know, is a big deal that can impact your life – like the difference between a virus and a bacteria – so it’s great to see this information presented so beautifully.
I would love to see more books like this. In so many ways, this book is my idea of a perfect non-fiction picture book. It’s as long or as short as you need it to be, it’s memorable, and it’s really written with a wide variety of ages and interests in mind. The age range is for 4 to 8. I don’t think an upper limit is necessary. Really, most any curious person age 4 and above is going to find this book interesting and informative.
Recommended ages 4+. Chronicle Books. July 2018. 124 pages. 978-1452161013. Nonfiction.
Where to Get it:
- [Affiliate Link]: Amazon.com
- [Library]: Worldcat.org
Author and Artist Websites:
- Author: Emma Strack
- Illustrator: Guillaume Plantevin
More Reviews:
Where Obtained: I received a review copy from the publisher. No other compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
FTC Disclosures: Some of the links in the post above are Amazon affiliate links and others are IndieBound affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase something, I will receive an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Which goes to fund my family’s picture book habit. It’s a vicious cycle, but we manage. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The Picture Book Review 
Oh wow, this book looks so cool–both the content and illustrations! What a neat feature–looks like a trip to the library is in order.
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